Book of Zhou: The Hounds of Lü, No. 7

西旅獻獒，太保作《旅獒》。

The Lü of the west presented a mastiff, and the Grand Guardian composed the Lü Ao (The Mastiffs of Lü).

惟克商，遂通道於九夷八蠻。西旅厎貢厥獒，太保乃作《旅獒》，用訓於王。

After overcoming Shang, he opened the roads to the Nine Yi and the Eight Man. The Lü of the west brought their mastiffs as tribute, and the Grand Guardian then composed the Lü Ao to admonish the king.

曰：“嗚呼！明王慎德，西夷咸賓。無有遠邇，畢獻方物，惟服食器用。王乃昭德之致於異姓之邦，無替厥服；分寶玉於伯叔之國，時庸展親。人不易物，惟德其物！德盛不狎侮。狎侮君子，罔以盡人心；狎侮小人，罔以盡其力。不役耳目，百度惟貞。玩人喪德，玩物喪志。志以道寧，言以道接。不作無益害有益，功乃成；不貴異物賤用物，民乃足。犬馬非其土性不畜，珍禽奇獸不育於國，不寶遠物，則遠人格；所寶惟賢，則邇人安。嗚呼！夙夜罔或不勤，不矜細行，終累大德。為山九仞，功虧一簣。允迪茲，生民保厥居，惟乃世王。”

He said: “Alas! The enlightened kings were careful in cultivating virtue, and the western barbarians all came to submit. Near and far, all presented the products of their regions, which were only clothing, food, and vessels. The king then distributed what his virtue had drawn to the states of other surnames, so that they would not neglect their duties; he distributed treasures and jade to the states of his uncles, as a way of showing family affection. People do not change those things; it is only virtue that makes those things valuable! When virtue is abundant one does not treat people lightly or make playthings of them. To make light of and play with gentlemen is to be unable to win their hearts; to make light of and play with petty people is to be unable to use their strength. Not being driven by the ears and eyes, all standards are upright. To play with people is to lose virtue, and to play with things is to lose one's will. The will is calm through the Way, and speech is joined through the Way. Do not do useless things that harm useful things, and then the work will be accomplished; do not value strange things and make light of everyday things, and the people will be sufficient. Dogs and horses that are not native to that region's soil are not to be kept, and rare birds and strange beasts are not to be raised in the state; if you do not treat distant things as treasure, distant people will come; if the only thing you treasure is worthy men, those nearby will be at peace. Alas! If from dawn to dusk there is no moment you are not diligent, and you are not careful in small conduct, in the end it will implicate your great virtue. Building a mountain nine fathoms high, if short by one basket of earth, loses the achievement. If you truly practice these things, the people can keep their dwellings, and you may be king for generations.”

〖旅巢命〗巢伯來朝，芮伯作《旅巢命》。

[Lu Chao Ming] The Lord of Chao came to court, and the Lord of Rui composed the “Charge to the Lord of Chao.”

武王有疾，周公作《金滕》。

King Wu was ill, and the Duke of Zhou composed the “Jin Teng.”

既克商二年，王有疾，弗豫。二公曰：“我其為王穆卜。”周公曰：“未可以戚我先王？”公乃自以為功，為三壇同墠。為壇於南方，北面，周公立焉。

Two years after the victory over Shang, the king fell ill and was unwell. The two dukes said: “Let us respectfully divine for the king.” The Duke of Zhou said: “It is not yet possible to trouble our former kings with this.” The duke then made himself the pledge, and built three altars on the same leveled sacrificial ground. On the south side he built an altar facing north, and the Duke of Zhou stood there.

植璧秉珪，乃告太王、王季、文王。

He set down the jade disc and held the jade tablet, and then reported to Taiwang, Wangji, and King Wen.

史乃冊，祝曰：“惟爾元孫某，遘厲虐疾。若爾三王是有丕子之責於天，以旦代某之身。予仁若考能，多材多藝，能事鬼神。乃元孫不若旦多材多藝，不能事鬼神。乃命於帝庭，敷佑四方，用能定爾子孫於下地。四方之民罔不祗畏。嗚呼！無墜天之降寶命，我先王亦永有依歸。今我即命於元龜，爾之許我，我其以璧與珪歸俟爾命；爾不許我，我乃屏璧與珪。”

The scribe then wrote out the document and prayed, saying: “Your eldest descendant, so-and-so, has met with a cruel and sudden illness. If you three kings in heaven truly have a duty requiring the eldest son to serve you, then let Dan take the place of so-and-so's person. I am kind and capable (one reading is ‘kind and capable like his late father’), with many talents and skills, able to serve ghosts and spirits. Your eldest descendant is not as talented and skilled as Dan, and cannot serve ghosts and spirits. He received the mandate in the court of the Lord on High, to protect and aid the four quarters everywhere, and so can settle your descendants in the lands below. The people of the four quarters all revere him. Alas! Do not let fall the precious mandate sent down by Heaven, and our former kings will also forever have somewhere to rest. Now I will take my command from the great tortoise: if you grant my request, I will return with the disc and the tablet to await your command; if you do not grant it, I will put away the disc and the tablet.”

乃卜三龜，一習吉。啟籥見書，乃並是吉。公曰：“體！王其罔害。予小子新命於三王，惟永終是圖；茲攸俟，能念予一人。”

Then three tortoises were divined, and all repeatedly showed auspicious. When the lock was opened and the omen books were read, they too were all auspicious. The duke said: “Look at the form of the omen! The king will probably come to no harm. I, a young man, have newly received the mandate from the three kings, and seek only a long ending; waiting here, the former kings may think of me alone.”

公歸，乃納冊於金滕之匱中。王翼日乃瘳。

The duke went back, and put the document into the metal-bound coffer. The king recovered the next day.

武王既喪，管叔及其群弟乃流言於國，曰：“公將不利於孺子。”周公乃告二公曰：“我之弗闢，我無以告我先王。”周公居東二年，則罪人斯得。於後，公乃為詩以貽王，名之曰《鴟鴞》。王亦未敢誚公。

After King Wu had died, Guan Shu and his brothers spread rumors in the state, saying: “The duke will do harm to the young prince.” The Duke of Zhou then told the two dukes: “If I do not take over government (the word ‘bi’ is read by one view as ‘to avoid,’ meaning to step aside from position), I will have nothing to report to the former kings.” The Duke of Zhou stayed in the east for two years, and the guilty were then captured. Afterward, the duke composed a poem and sent it to the king, called “Owl.” The king also did not dare to blame the duke.

秋，大熟，未獲，天大雷電以風，禾盡偃，大木斯拔，邦人大恐。王與大夫盡弁以啟金滕之書，乃得周公所自以為功代武王之說。二公及王乃問諸史與百執事。對曰：“信。噫！公命我勿敢言。”

In autumn, the crops were greatly ripe but had not yet been harvested, when great thunder and lightning and wind came, all the grain was laid flat, and big trees were uprooted; the people of the state were extremely frightened. The king and the high officials all put on their ceremonial caps and robes and opened the book in the Jin Teng, and then found the prayer in which the Duke of Zhou made himself the pledge in place of King Wu. The two dukes and the king then questioned the scribes and the various officials. They answered: “It is true. Alas! The duke ordered us not to dare to say.”

王執書以泣，曰：“其勿穆卜！昔公勤勞王家，惟予沖人弗及知。今天動威以彰周公之德，惟朕小子其新逆，我國家禮亦宜之。”王出郊，天乃雨，反風，禾則盡起。二公命邦人凡大木所偃，盡起而築之。歲則大熟。

The king, holding the document, wept and said: “There is no need to divine respectfully any more! In the past the duke toiled for the royal house, and only I, the young one, did not come to know it in time. Now Heaven has stirred its awe to make clear the Duke of Zhou's virtue; I, a young man, will go to welcome him anew, and our state's ritual too should be so.” The king went out to the suburbs, and Heaven then rained, the wind blew the other way, and the grain all stood up again. The two dukes ordered the people of the state that all that had been knocked down by the large trees should be raised and banked up with earth. That year it was then greatly ripe.

武王崩，三監及淮夷叛，周公相成王，將黜殷，作《大誥》。

After King Wu died, the Three Overseers and the Huai Yi rebelled, and the Duke of Zhou assisted King Cheng and was about to remove the Yin, and composed the “Da Gao.”

王若曰：“猷大誥爾多邦越爾御事，弗吊天降割於我家，不少延。洪惟我幼沖人，嗣無疆大曆服。弗造哲，迪民康，矧曰其有能格知天命！已！予惟小子，若涉淵水，予惟往求朕攸濟。敷賁敷前人受命，茲不忘大功。

The king spoke thus: “I plan to make a great announcement to you of the many states and to you who handle affairs: unkind Heaven has sent calamity upon our house, without the slightest delay. I think deeply that I am a youth, inheriting that boundless great succession of rank (the vast and long-lasting position of salary and office). I have not met a wise person to guide the people to peace, much less one who can commune with Heaven and know its mandate! Alas! I am only a boy, like one wading deep water, and I seek only the means by which I may cross. I lay out the tortoise divination and lay out the mandate received by those before me, and here I do not forget the great achievement.

予不敢於閉。

(King Cheng continued:) I dare not keep it hidden.

天降威，用寧王遺我大寶龜，紹天明。即命曰：‘有大艱於西土，西土人亦不靜，越茲蠢。殷小腆誕敢紀其敘。天降威，知我國有疵，民不康，曰：予復！反鄙我周邦，今蠢今翼。日，民獻有十夫予翼，以於敉寧、武圖功。我有大事，休？’朕卜並吉。”

(King Cheng continued:) Heaven sent down awesome punishment and left me the great treasure tortoise of the Tranquil King (that is, King Wen), to continue Heaven's clear mandate. I put the question to the tortoise, saying: ‘There is great hardship in the western land, and the people of the western land are also not at peace, and so they stir here. The small prosperous state of Yin dares to reorganize its lineage. Heaven sends down awesome punishment, and they know our state has a flaw and the people are not at peace, and say: I will restore! They even treat our Zhou state as a border region, now stirring and now cooperating.’ On that day, there were ten worthy people to assist me, to pacify and carry on the work planned by Kings Wen and Wu. I have a great undertaking; will it be fine? My divinations are all auspicious.”

肆予告我友邦君越尹氏、庶士、御事、曰：‘予得吉卜，予惟以爾庶邦於伐殷逋播臣。’爾庶邦君越庶士、御事罔不反曰：‘艱大，民不靜，亦惟在王宮邦君室。越予小子考，翼不可徵，王害不違卜？’肆予沖人永思艱，曰：嗚呼！允蠢，鰥寡哀哉！予造天役，遺大投艱於朕身，越予沖人，不卬自恤。義爾邦君越爾多士、尹氏、御事綏予曰：‘無毖於恤，不可不成乃寧考圖功！’已！予惟小子，不敢替上帝命。天休於寧王，興我小邦周，寧王惟卜用，克綏受茲命。今天其相民，矧亦惟卜用。嗚呼！天明畏，弼我丕丕基！”王曰：“爾惟舊人，爾丕克遠省，爾知寧王若勤哉！天閟毖我成功所，予不敢不極卒寧王圖事。肆予大化誘我友邦君，天棐忱辭，其考我民，予曷其不於前寧人圖功攸終？天亦惟用勤毖我民，若有疾，予曷敢不於前寧人攸受休畢！”王曰：“若昔朕其逝，朕言艱日思。若考作室，既底法，厥子乃弗肯堂，矧肯構？厥父菑，厥子乃弗肯播，矧肯獲？厥考翼其肯曰：予有後弗棄基？肆予曷敢不越卬敉寧王大命？若兄考，乃有友伐厥子，民養其勸弗救？”王曰：“嗚呼！肆哉爾庶邦君越爾御事。爽邦由哲，亦惟十人迪知上帝命越天棐忱，爾時罔敢易法，矧今天降戾於周邦？惟大艱人誕鄰胥伐於厥室，爾亦不知天命不易？予永唸曰：天惟喪殷，若穡夫，予曷敢不終朕畝？天亦惟休於前寧人，予曷其極卜？敢弗於從率寧人有指疆土？矧今卜並吉？肆朕誕以爾東征。天命不僣，卜陳惟若茲。”

(King Cheng continued:) “So I tell the lords of my friendly states and the Yin officials, the many scholars, and the officials who handle affairs, saying: ‘I have obtained an auspicious divination, and I only wish to use you of the many states to attack the fleeing and scattered ministers of Yin.’ You lords of the many states, the many scholars, and the officials who handle affairs, none of you fails to counter by asking: ‘The hardship is too great, and the people are not at peace, which is also due only to the royal palace and the houses of the lords. We small ones have examined it and it is probably not possible to campaign; why does the king not go against the divination?’ So I, the young one, have long thought of the hardship, and say: Alas! It is true they are stirring, and the widowers and widows are to be pitied! I am one employed by Heaven, and it has thrown this great hardship upon me; I, the young one, have no leisure to take pity on myself. By reason you lords of states and you many scholars, Yin officials, and officials who handle affairs should comfort me, saying: ‘Do not be overly afraid and troubled; you must not fail to complete the work planned by your Tranquil late father!’ Alas! I am only a boy, and dare not abandon the mandate of the Lord on High. Heaven praised the Tranquil King and raised up our small state of Zhou; the Tranquil King relied only on divination, and so could steadily receive this mandate. Now Heaven is probably helping the people, how much more must one rely on divination. Alas! The clear awe of Heaven aids and supports my great foundation!” The king said: “You are old hands, and you are able to examine things far away; you know how the Tranquil King toiled! Heaven secretly and carefully showed me the place of success, and I dare not fail to exert my utmost to finish what the Tranquil King planned. So I earnestly encourage the lords of my friendly states; Heaven aids with words of sincerity, probably examining my people, and why should I not finish the work that the former Tranquil One planned? Heaven also treats my people diligently and carefully, as though they were sick, and how dare I not complete the fine gift that the former Tranquil One received!” The king said: “As in the past when I was about to go, my words were thought of in days of hardship. It is like a father who builds a house: he has already set the plan, yet his son is unwilling to lay the foundation of the hall, much less willing to build the house? The father has cleared a field, yet his son is unwilling to sow, much less willing to harvest? That father would surely say: Do I have descendants who would not abandon the foundation? So how dare I not personally pacify the great mandate of the Tranquil King? It is like an elder brother who has died while friends attack his son; would the people who nurture them urge them not to rescue?” The king said: “Alas! Strive, you lords of the many states and you who handle affairs. To make a state clear requires wise people, and only these ten know the Lord on High's mandate and the sincerity with which Heaven aids; at that time you did not dare to change the rules, how much more now that Heaven has sent punishment down on Zhou? Those who stirred up the trouble are greatly attacking their neighbors in their own homes, and do you still not know that Heaven's mandate is not easy? I have thought long and said: Heaven merely wants to destroy Yin, like a farmer; how dare I not finish my fields? Heaven also commended the former Tranquil One, so why should I exhaust further divination? How dare I not follow and abide by this territory that the Tranquil One had? How much more now that the divinations are all auspicious? So I greatly employ you to go on the eastern campaign. Heaven's mandate is without error; what the divination laid out is just so.”

成王既黜殷命，殺武庚，命微子啟代殷後，作《微子之命》。

After King Cheng had removed the Yin mandate and killed Wugeng, he commanded the Viscount of Wei, Qi, to take the place of Yin's heirs, and composed the “Weizi Zhi Ming.”

王若曰：“猷！殷王元子。惟稽古，崇德象賢。統承先王，修其禮物，作賓於王家，與國鹹休，永世無窮。嗚呼！乃祖成湯克齊聖廣淵，皇天眷佑，誕受厥命。撫民以寬，除其邪虐，功加於時，德垂後裔。爾惟踐修厥猷，舊有令聞，恪慎克孝，肅恭神人。予嘉乃德，曰篤不忘。上帝時歆，下民祗協，庸建爾於上公，尹茲東夏。欽哉，往敷乃訓，慎乃服命，率由典常，以蕃王室。弘乃烈祖，律乃有民，永綏厥位，毗予一人。世世享德，萬邦作式，俾我有周無斁。嗚呼！往哉惟休，無替朕命。”

The king spoke thus: “Hear! Eldest son of the Yin king. Examining remote antiquity, honor virtue and take the worthy as your model. Continue the lineage from the former kings, cultivate those rites and things, serve as a guest of the royal house, share the good with the state, and endure without end through the ages. Alas! Your ancestor Cheng Tang was perfectly sage, broad, and deep; August Heaven favored and protected him, and he received that mandate greatly. He pacified the people with leniency and removed evil and cruelty; his merit was added to his time, and his virtue was left to his descendants. You practice and cultivate that Way, have a fine name of old, are respectful, careful, and filial, and solemn and reverent toward spirits and people. I commend your virtue and say that its sincerity is not to be forgotten. The Lord on High partakes at the proper times, and the people below are respectful, careful, and harmonious, and so I establish you as a high duke to govern this eastern Xia. Be careful! Go and proclaim your instructions, be careful of your office and mandate, follow the statutes and constants, to be a screen and guard for the royal house. Make glorious your illustrious ancestor, restrain all your people, forever keep your position secure, and assist me, the one man. Enjoy virtue through the generations, be a model for the myriad states, and let my Zhou house never tire. Alas! Go, only be good, and do not abandon my mandate.”

〖歸禾〗唐叔得禾，異畝同穎，獻諸天子。王命唐叔歸周公於東，作《歸禾》。

[Gui He] Tang Shu obtained grain with separate fields producing the same ears, and presented it to the Son of Heaven. The king commanded Tang Shu to send the grain to the Duke of Zhou in the eastern land, and the “Gui He” (Returning the Grain) was composed.

〖嘉禾〗周公既得命禾，旅天子之命，作《嘉禾》。

[Jia He] When the Duke of Zhou had received the command granting the grain, he set out the Son of Heaven's command and composed the “Jia He” (The Fine Grain).

成王既伐管叔、蔡叔，以殷餘民封康叔，作《康誥》、《酒誥》、《梓材》。

After King Cheng had attacked Guan Shu and Cai Shu, he enfeoffed Kang Shu with the remaining people of Yin, and composed the “Kang Gao,” the “Jiu Gao,” and the “Zi Cai.”

惟三月哉生魄，周公初基作新大邑於東國洛，四方民大和會。侯、甸、男邦、採、衛百工、播民，和見士於周。周公鹹勤，乃洪大誥治。

In the third month, when the moon began to wane (after the greater part of the moon has lost its light), the Duke of Zhou began to build, creating the new great city at Luo in the east, and the people of the four quarters assembled in great numbers. The officials of the Hou, Dian, Nan, Cai, and Wei domains and the displaced people worked harmoniously in Zhou. The Duke of Zhou comforted them all, and then greatly announced the way of governance.

王若曰：“孟侯，朕其弟，小子封。惟乃丕顯考文王，克明德慎罰；不敢侮鰥寡，庸庸，祗祗，威威，顯民，用肇造我區夏，越我一、二邦以修我西土。惟時怙冒，聞於上帝，帝休，天乃大命文王。殪戎殷，誕受厥命越厥邦民，惟時敘，乃寡兄勖。肆汝小子封在茲東土。

The king spoke thus: “Meng Hou, my younger brother, young Feng. Your most illustrious late father King Wen was able to make virtue clear and be careful in punishment; he did not dare to slight widowers and widows, used what should be used, revered what should be revered, and impressed with awe what should be impressed, and made this clear to the people, and so began to build this my Xia region, and together with my one or two states cultivated my western land. At this time, relying on his diligence, it was heard on high by the Lord, the Lord was pleased, and Heaven then gave King Wen the great mandate. He destroyed great Yin, greatly received that mandate and that state and that people, and there was order, through the efforts of my elder brother of little virtue. So you, young Feng, are in this eastern land.

王曰：“嗚呼！封，汝念哉！今民將在祗遹乃文考，紹聞衣德言。往敷求於殷先哲王用保乂民，汝丕遠惟商耇成人，宅心知訓。別求聞由古先哲王用康保民。

The king said: “Alas! Feng, you must think! Now the people will observe whether you respectfully follow your civil father, continuing to hear and take to heart the words of virtue. Go and seek widely among the earlier sage kings of Yin the methods used to nurture and govern the people, and you must think far of the aged and mature men of Shang, keeping in mind what they have taught. Also seek the methods heard from the earlier sage kings of antiquity for giving peace and protection to the people.

宏於天，若德，裕乃身不廢在王命！”王曰：“嗚呼！小子封，恫瘝乃身，敬哉！天畏棐忱；民情大可見，小人難保。往盡乃心，無康好逸豫，乃其乂民。我聞曰：‘怨不在大，亦不在小；惠不惠，懋不懋。’已！汝惟小子，乃服惟弘王應保殷民，亦惟助王宅天命，作新民。”

(The king continued:) Be vast like Heaven, follow virtue, make yourself generous, and do not discard it among the king's commands!” The king said: “Alas! Young Feng, treat the people's suffering as an illness in your own body, and be careful! The awe of Heaven aids sincerity; the feelings of the people can be roughly seen, but the petty people are hard to keep. Go and do your utmost, do not rest in love of ease and pleasure, and then you can govern the people. I have heard: ‘Resentment is not in the great or in the small; follow what should be followed and strive where striving is needed.’ Alas! You are only a youth, and your task is only to expand the king's duty to protect the Yin people, and also only to help the king settle Heaven's mandate and make a new people.”

王曰：“嗚呼！封，敬明乃罰。人有小罪，非眚，乃惟終自作不典；式爾，有厥罪小，乃不可不殺。乃有大罪，非終，乃惟眚災：適爾，既道極厥辜，時乃不可殺。”

The king said: “Alas! Feng, be careful and make clear your punishments. If a person has a small offense, not an error but one who does what is lawless from beginning to end by himself, then though his offense is small, he cannot but be killed. If a person has a great offense, not so from beginning to end, but only an error that caused disaster: precisely in that case, you have already spoken of the offense to its end, and at that time you must not kill him.”

王曰：“嗚呼！封，有敘時，乃大明服，惟民其敕懋和。若有疾，惟民其畢棄咎。若保赤子，惟民其康乂。非汝封刑人殺人，無或刑人殺人。非汝封又曰劓刵人，無或劓刵人。”

The king said: “Alas! Feng, if you can have such an order, you will be greatly illustrious and the people will submit in heart, and the people will warn one another and strive in harmony. As in treating illness, the people will all cast off their offenses. As in protecting a newborn infant, the people will be at peace and be governed. It is not you, Feng, who punishes or kills people; let no one presume to punish or kill people. It is not you, Feng, who say to cut off noses or ears; let no one presume to cut off noses or ears.”

王曰：“外事，汝陳時臬司師，茲殷罰有倫。”又曰：“要囚，服念五、六日至於旬時，丕蔽要囚。”

The king said: “As for matters outside, you set out these standards to the judicial officers; this Yin punishment has its order.” He also said: “In examining prisoners, think over the matter for five or six days, up to ten days, before making a great judgment on the prisoner.”

王曰：“汝陳時臬事罰。蔽殷彝，用其義刑義殺，勿庸以次汝封。乃汝盡遜曰時敘，惟曰未有遜事。

The king said: “You set out these standards to apply punishments. In judging, use the constant law of Yin, using punishment that is reasonable and killing that is reasonable, not according to your own mind, Feng. If you follow it entirely and say that there is already order, it can only be said that there is as yet nothing followed.

已！汝惟小子，未其有若汝封之心。朕心朕德，惟乃知。

(The king continued:) Alas! You are only a youth and do not yet have a mind such as yours, Feng. My heart, my virtue, only you know.

凡民自得罪：寇攘奸宄，殺越人於貨，暋不畏死，罔弗憝。

(The king continued:) As for people who commit crimes of their own accord: robbers, bandits, thieves, inner and outer treachery and evil, murder and plunder, the brazen who do not fear death, there is no one who does not loathe them.

王曰：“封，元惡大憝，矧惟不孝不友。子弗祗服厥父事，大傷厥考心；於父不能字厥子，乃疾厥子。於弟弗念天顯，乃弗克恭厥兄；兄亦不念鞠子哀，大不友于弟。惟吊茲，不於我政人得罪，天惟與我民彝大泯亂，曰：乃其速由文王作罰，刑茲無赦。

The king said: “Feng, chief evildoers and great traitors, and furthermore the unfilial and unfriendly. A son who does not respectfully serve his father's affairs greatly wounds his father's heart; a father who cannot love his son instead hates his son. A younger brother who does not think of Heaven's clear principle cannot respect his elder brother; an elder brother who does not think of the sorrow and bitterness of his young brother is very unfriendly to him. When it reaches this point, if they do not come to us who govern to be punished, the constant laws that Heaven gave our people will be greatly thrown into confusion, and it is said: then promptly apply the punishment that King Wen made, punish these and do not pardon them.

不率大戛，矧惟外庶子、訓人惟厥正人越小臣、諸節。乃別播敷，造民大譽，弗念弗庸，瘝厥君，時乃引惡，惟朕憝。已！汝乃其速由茲義率殺。亦惟君惟長，不能厥家人越厥小臣、外正；惟威惟虐，大放王命；乃非德用乂。汝亦罔不克敬典，乃由裕民，惟文王之敬忌；乃裕民曰：‘我惟有及。’則予一人以懌。”

(The king continued:) Not following the great law, and furthermore the concubine's sons outside, the instructors, and those correct men, minor ministers, and all who hold tallies. Also issue and carry out orders to build great reputation among the people; those who do not think of or employ them make the ruler anxious and ill, which is nurturing evil, which I loathe. Alas! You should promptly follow this principle to lead executions. There are also those who are lords and elders who cannot govern their household and their minor ministers and outer officials; only awe, only cruelty, greatly abandoning the king's command; that is not governing by virtue. You too, if there is none among you who cannot reverently hold to the constant law, then use it to make the people generous, as with King Wen's reverence and caution; thereby making the people generous, saying: ‘I only seek to keep up with King Wen.’ Then I, the one man, will be pleased.”

王曰：“封，爽惟民迪吉康，我時其惟殷先哲王德，用康乂民作求。矧今民罔迪，不適；不迪，則罔政在厥邦。”

The king said: “Feng, think clearly: when the people are guided, there is good fortune and peace; I at this time think only of the virtue of the earlier sage kings of Yin, to use it to give peace and order to the people as a counterpart. How much more now, when the people have no guidance, they are not obedient; without guidance, the state has no government.”

王曰：“封，予惟不可不監，告汝德之說於罰之行。今惟民不靜，未戾厥心，迪屢未同，爽惟天其罰殛我，我其不怨。惟厥罪無在大，亦無在多，矧曰其尚顯聞於天。”

The king said: “Feng, I must not fail to supervise, and I tell you of the principle of virtue concerning the application of punishment. Now the people are not at peace and their hearts are not yet settled; I have guided them again and again and they have not yet come together; I think clearly that Heaven will probably punish and reproach me, and I will not resent it. The offense is not in being great nor in being many, much less when it is said to be heard on high by Heaven.”

王曰：“嗚呼！封，敬哉！無作怨，勿用非謀非彝蔽時忱。丕則敏德，用康乃心，顧乃德，遠乃猷，裕乃以；民寧，不汝瑕殄。”

The king said: “Alas! Feng, be careful! Do not create resentment, and do not use improper schemes or improper constant laws to cover over the sincerity of this time. The great law is to strive to cultivate virtue, to give peace to your heart, to look back at your virtue, to make your plans far-reaching, and to be generous in your expenditures; if the people are at peace, they will not pick on you and cut you off.”

王曰：“嗚呼！肆汝小子封。惟命不於常，汝念哉！無我殄享，明乃服命，高乃聽，用康乂民。”

The king said: “Alas! So, you, young Feng. The mandate is not constant; you must think! Do not cut off my sacrifices, make clear your office and mandate, raise your hearing, and use these to give peace and order to the people.”

王若曰：“往哉！封，勿替敬，典聽朕告，汝乃以殷民世享。”

The king spoke thus: “Go, Feng! Do not abandon reverence, and constantly listen to my admonitions; only then will you be able to enjoy the Yin people through the generations.”